Alternative Titles/Edition History:
Stalingrad: Baby Bounce packs #1 to #4 published in 2019, along with (for separate purchase), "greenie" and "winterized" versions of the maps in each pack.
Publisher/Date:
Critical Hit (2019)
Product Type:
Scenario/Map Pack
Country of Origin:
U.S.A.
Contents:
Stalingrad: Baby Bounce #1: 3 nonstandard unmounted geoboards each formed from 2 11" x 12" heavy paper/light cardstock panels (RB1-RB3), 18 scenarios.
Stalingrad: Baby Bounce #2: 3 nonstandard unmounted geoboards each formed from 2 11" x 12" heavy paper/light cardstock panels (RB4-RB6), 18 scenarios.
Stalingrad: Baby Bounce #3: 3 nonstandard unmounted geoboards each formed from 2 11" x 12" heavy paper/light cardstock panels (RB7-RB9), 18 scenarios.
Stalingrad: Baby Bounce #4: 3 nonstandard unmounted geoboards each formed from 2 11" x 12" heavy paper/light cardstock panels (RB10-RB12), 18 scenarios.
Commentary:
The Stalingrad: Baby Bounce series is a series of 4 scenario/map packs that reuse the artwork and scenarios from Critical Hit’s Make the Rubble Bounce: Stalingrad series, published at the same time. Essentially, each Baby Bounce pack combines the maps and scenarios from 3 of the Make the Rubble Bounce packs. However, unlike the MTRB series, where the maps are large-hex, the versions in the Baby Bounce series are standard geoboard-sized.
It’s important to read the write-up for the Make the Rubble Bounce series to be able to understand the nature of this series, which is different only in the size of the maps and the fact that the packs in this series combine multiple packs from the other series. This write-up will not repeat information contained in the Make the Rubble Bounce: Stalingrad series write-up.
Generally speaking, this series is a better way to get the Bounce material, if anybody actually wanted to do that. It’s cheaper than buying all 12 of the MTRB backs, plus the smaller maps are far more practical. The only drawback is that the standard-sized hexes can get cluttered for some of the meatiest scenarios, whereas counters have more room to spread out in the MTRB packs. However, most of the scenarios in the series are not so large as to incur significant counter crush, so this is not a significant consideration.
For the average serious ASLer, the only real reason to get the packs from either series is to have the maps for DYO purposes. That is because the scenarios that appear in both series are not historical scenarios but are made-up scenarios that do not actually simulate any historical tactical actions. They are “generic” Stalingrad scenarios. Most ASLers do not like this and only want to play scenarios based on actual actions. Additionally, it is unlikely that any of these scenarios were playtested (no playtesters are credited), so they do not represent any significant amount of value at all. That leaves just the maps. The maps have limited value, because of their nonstandard size (basically, they are the length of a standard 8″ x 22″ geoboard, but are three hexes wider than such a board, so they don’t mate with them), and really can only be used with each other, so even for the rare DYO enthusiast, the value they offer is limited.
Another difference between this series and the MTRB series is that the maps in this series come with level-0 terrain appearing in the light brown color of level-1 terrain (giving it a brownish feel). The MTRB series had maps with the same artwork but with standard green level-0 terrain. For that series, Critical Hit offered–for separate purchase, of course–alternate versions of the maps of the various packs that had brown level-0 terrain, as well as “winterized” versions with white level-0 terrain. For this series, Critical Hit offers, for separate purchase, the same maps with green or winterized terrain instead of the brown maps that come with the packs in the series. Essentially if you bought all the variants of all the packs and maps of these “Bounce” products, you’d be forking over enough money to buy a decent used car.
The products here are of very limited and dubious value and most ASLers should stay away.
P.S. There is one other, perhaps minor thing worth noting about the Baby Bounce packs. Because of the non-standard map size, the packs themselves are considerably wider than most ASL products are, and so may not conveniently fit in some storage systems.
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